The Montgomery County Historical Society is housed in Lane Place, the home of Senator Henry S. Lane and his wife, Joanna. They built the home in 1845 and
95 percent of the artifacts in the home belonged to the Lanes.

The home is open for tours from March 1 to December 1. Tours can be arranged during our off season by calling 765.362-3416 or at info@lane-mchs.org .

About Us

Vision StatementThe Montgomery County Historical Society seeks to educate the public about the rich historic and cultural heritage of our county and to preserve the sites and artifacts that reflect the county history.

Mission StatementThe mission of the Montgomery County Historical Society is to

● Provide educational opportunities for all ages to learn about Montgomery County’s history.

● Maintain and preserve Speed Cabin, Pattison Pavilion, Lane Place and its grounds, and share them with the public.

● Increase awareness about opportunities to be of service to the Society

● Provide short and long term financial stability to support this mission.

Educates, Preserves, InspiresMCHS seeks to provide educational opportunities for the public via programming and publications. We offer educational programming for children through sponsoring the Jane Kessler Memorial 4th Grade Essay Contest and offering tours of Lane Place and the Speed Cabin to students studying Indiana history.

Educational programming for adults includes at least one guest speaker a year at our annual membership dinner. MCHS staff are always willing to make presentations to clubs and organizations either on site at Lane Place or at offsite locations.

Our education efforts also continue through our publications. We publish a quarterly newsletter, print books on county history, and provide historical content through local newspapers and on our website.

MCHS’s preservation efforts include maintaining Lane Place and the Speed Cabin. We partner with the Court House Clock Tower Restoration Committee to raise funds to restore the court house tower that was removed in 1941. In the past we lent financial assistance to restore the Ladoga Normal School, the Linden Railroad Depot, and the Darlington Covered Bridge. MCHS collaborated with the Crawfordsville District Public Library to restore the Carnegie Library. Built in 1902, the building now houses the Carnegie Museum of Montgomery County.

In other preservation efforts, MCHS’s oral history project has worked to record the life stories of veterans and local residents. We also take an interest in preserving artifacts connected with the county’s history.

MCHS brings inspiration to the County through education programs, preservation efforts, and the celebrations we host each year on the Lane Place grounds. The Strawberry Festival is the major annual event we host on the second weekend in June. The festival offers something for everyone from live music, food, retail booths, hand crafts, children’s games, a car show, a tractor show and even a Sunday church service. The 2014 festival saw a record crowd estimated at 15,000. Lane Place hosts five Montgomery County Civic Band concerts each summer that draw an average attendance of 200 for each concert. The Pattison Pavilion on the Lane Place grounds hosts a number of weddings and the grounds are used for club meetings, pre-school recesses, and mayoral speeches.

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Join UsWhy join the Montgomery County Historical Society?

● Memberships help support our day-to-day operations

● Memberships allow us to continue and develop educational programming.